Everton Firm on Iliman Ndiaye Amid Manchester United Interest

Manchester United have identified Iliman Ndiaye as a summer target. Everton’s response is to slam the door and bolt it.

The forward, one of the standout performers at Goodison Park last season, has caught the eye at Old Trafford as Michael Carrick prepares for his first full campaign in charge. Champions League football is secured, the rebuild is gathering pace, and United’s recruitment drive is shifting through the gears.

Midfield is already being addressed, with Ederson set to arrive from Atalanta, but United’s gaze is also fixed on the forward line. A move for Brentford striker Igor Thiago is being lined up. On the flanks, Ndiaye has surged to the top end of the conversation.

He is not alone in that regard. Liverpool are also tracking the Senegal international, with both clubs in the market for a left-sided attacker who can slide across the front line. Ndiaye fits the brief almost perfectly.

Signed from Marseille for just £15 million in 2024, the former Sheffield United man has quickly become central to David Moyes’ plans. Operating mainly from the right wing last season, he still found time to switch flanks, featuring 11 times on the left and finishing the campaign with six goals and three assists in all competitions. Versatile, direct, productive. Exactly the profile elite clubs now covet.

Contract tension at Goodison

That form has collided with a contract stand-off. Ndiaye has refused to sign a new deal unless it contains an exit clause, a stance that has emboldened suitors and unsettled Everton’s hierarchy.

He still has three years left on his current contract, but Everton want him tied down on improved terms for longer. They know his value, both on the pitch and in the market. They also know what happens when a player of this calibre edges towards the final two years of a deal.

The club’s answer has been to drive his price into the stratosphere.

According to The Athletic, Everton will place what they consider a “prohibitive valuation” on Ndiaye, demanding around £69 million (€80m / $92.7m) before they even entertain a conversation. That figure is not plucked from thin air. It leans heavily on Anthony Gordon’s recent £70m switch from Newcastle United to Barcelona, a benchmark Everton believe strengthens their hand.

The message is clear: if United, Liverpool or anyone else wants him, they will have to pay Champions League money for him.

Moyes draws a line

Behind that stance stands Moyes, who has made his feelings on Ndiaye’s future plain.

Speaking in April, as speculation started to build, the Everton manager did not hide his frustration at the idea of losing one of his key attacking weapons.

“He is the last person I would consider selling,” Moyes said. “There are others as well [that I wouldn’t want to sell], but my point is I have no interest in hearing the talk if there is talk out there.

“But it is getting too hard to build teams and also supporters are looking for a quick return, which managers are not getting. So why would we be giving up their better players?”

That is the heart of Everton’s dilemma. The club may need to sell this summer to balance the books and reshape the squad, yet their manager is adamant that Ndiaye should not be part of that equation. Financial reality pulls one way, football ambition the other.

United weigh up the cost

From United’s side, the question is simple: is Ndiaye worth £69m in a window where multiple positions need strengthening?

Carrick wants depth and variety across his front line as United prepare to compete domestically and in Europe. Ndiaye’s ability to play off either flank, his work rate, and his output last season make him an attractive option. His age – 26, entering his prime – only sharpens the appeal.

But he is not the only winger on United’s radar. With other targets in play and a defined budget, Everton’s valuation may be designed less to invite bids and more to scare them away.

As Ndiaye prepares for the World Cup with Senegal, his stock could rise even higher. Everton are betting that if anyone does come calling, they will have to pay top dollar. United must now decide whether to push for a player Moyes calls “the last person I would consider selling” – or walk away and leave Everton to find out just how prohibitive that price really is.